SURREY police plan to get tough on hard drug addicts.

The force plans a "Treat or Target" approach which will see addicts given the option of signing up to a programme to help wean them off drugs, with penalties if they fail to comply.

Chief Constable Denis O'Connor, who announced the scheme last week, told The Herald that his officers will be coming down hard on addicts, many of whom are middle class.

"I think we've been quite lenient before. In Surrey there are a lot of people who think they're immune to drug addiction because they think they're the masters of the universe and that they can control everything, but it's very hard to keep control of yourself if you're on coke.

"There must be more middle-class users because otherwise we wouldn't have had all the major raids we've had in west Surrey, east Surrey, Woking, even places like Compton."

Jerry Kirkby, divisional commander for West Surrey Police, said: "When someone is arrested whose drug addiction is more than likely to be funded by crime, an approach will be made to offer them treatment. If they reject it, we will target them as criminals and do observations on them.

"We can take out dealers but we've got to focus on the addicts as well because they're the ones committing the crimes."

Mr O'Connor said there is "clear evidence of the emergence of crack cocaine" in Surrey, often sold with heroin.

"This is of concern since crack dealing has traditionally been associated with violence by the dealers, who often resort to the use of firearms."

He said crack is now selling for between £10 and £20 a rock, compared to double that a few years ago. A gram of heroin has fallen from £70 to £40 in six years and Ecstasy tablets from £12 to £10 to as little as £5 or £3.

He added that introductory prices, often offered by dealers outside schools, are even lower, with crack being sold for £5 a rock, and heroin at £10 a wrap.

Surrey police believe London Class A drug dealers are already trying to establish firm markets in the county by offering cheap drugs for first-time users.

"I think the market is still relatively passive but some dealers are selling loss-leader drugs, which they do to see if there is a potential market," said Bob Quick, deputy chief constable.

"Dealers are moving out from London. The time is right for us to implement a more robust approach and Treat or Target is the centrepiece of that. If people don't accept the treatment, we will ratchet things up. Drug markets are particularly sustained by the respectable middle classes."